Roots, Prefixes & Suffixes — Answer Key
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. The Greek root bio means "life," so biology is the scientific study of living things.
'Biology' contains 'bio' (life) + '-logy' (study of). Biology is the scientific study of living organisms. Other 'bio' words: biography, biodiversity, biome.
2. A biography is a written account of another person's life story.
'Biography' contains 'bio' (life) + 'graph' (write) + '-y' (noun suffix). A biography is a written account of someone's life story.
3. The Greek root geo means "earth," so geography is the study of Earth's surface and landforms.
'Geography' contains 'geo' (earth) + 'graph' (write/describe) + '-y.' Geography describes the earth's features. Other 'geo' words: geology, geothermal, geometric.
4. A geology scientist studies rocks, minerals, and the structure of the earth.
'Geology' contains 'geo' (earth) + '-logy' (study of). Geologists study Earth's physical structure, rocks, and history.
5. The Greek root graph means "write," so an autograph is your name written in your own handwriting.
'Autograph' contains 'auto-' (self) + 'graph' (write). An autograph is something you write yourself — typically your own signature.
6. A paragraph is a section of writing made up of related sentences grouped together.
'Paragraph' contains 'para-' (beside/beyond) + 'graph' (write). A paragraph is a unit of written text. Other 'graph' words: photograph, biography, autograph.
7. The Latin root scrib means "write," so to describe something is to write down what it looks like.
'Describe' contains 'de-' + 'scrib' (write). To describe is to write out or tell the characteristics of something. Related: prescription, inscription, manuscript.
8. A manuscript is a written text that an author prepares by hand before it is printed.
'Manuscript' contains 'manu-' (hand) + 'script' (written). A manuscript is a handwritten (or typed) document, especially a book or article before publication.
9. The study of heat and energy deep inside the earth is called geothermal science.
'Geothermal' contains 'geo' (earth) + 'therm' (heat). Geothermal energy is harvested from the natural heat inside the Earth.
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
inscription
→ writing carved or engraved onto a surface
a large community of living things in a climate zone
photograph
→ an image written by light onto film or a sensor
writing carved or engraved onto a surface
biome
→ a large community of living things in a climate zone
a scientist who studies rocks and the earth
geologist
→ a scientist who studies rocks and the earth
an image written by light onto film or a sensor
inscription (script=write) = writing carved on surface; photograph (photo=light, graph=write) = image by light; biome (bio=life) = large living community; geologist (geo=earth) = scientist studies rocks.